An anti-Mubarak protester asks for the death penalty before the former Egyptian leader was sentenced to life in prison: Demonstrators took to Tahrir Square to decry Mubarak being acquitted of corruption charges -- though he was sentenced to life in prison for other charges. Luca Sola/CORBIS

June 3, 2012

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1. ASSAD DENIES GOVERNMENT ROLE IN HOULA MASSACREDescribing the Houla massacre that left more than 100 people dead — many of them children — as an "ugly crime," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied that his government forces perpetrated the assault. "What happened in Houla and elsewhere are brutal massacres which even monsters would not have carried out," he said in a televised address to parliament. Assad again blamed "terrorists" supported by foreign powers, for fomenting discord, but eyewitnesses had said pro-government militias had carried out most of the killings. [BBC]………………………………………………………………………………

2. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN READY TO SURRENDERGeorge Zimmerman's lawyer Mark O'Mara announced on his website that his client had returned to Sanford, Fla., in accordance with an order by a judge in the second-degree murder case, and is prepared to surrender by the deadline set for today. Zimmerman had been freed on bail after he was charged in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, but on Friday the judge revoked Zimmerman's bond, suggesting that he and his wife had not been honest about their finances. [Associated Press]………………………………………………………………………………

3. EGYPTIANS PROTEST MUBARAK VERDICTOn Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of Egyptians protested the results of the corruption trial against former President Hosni Mubarak and his aides. While Mubarak and his former interior minister were sentenced to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters in last year's uprising, six former police commanders were acquitted, and Mubarak and his sons were cleared of corruption. Egypt's prosecutor-general has lodged appeals against the sentences, state television has reported. [BBC]………………………………………………………………………………

5. CANCER DRUG DELAYS WORSENING OF BREAST CANCERT-DM1, a drug that delivers a powerful poison to breast cancer tumors without some of the side effects of traditional treatments, can delay the progression of breast cancer and prolong lives, according to scientists who led the clinical trial. "We've envisioned a world where cancer treatment would kill the cancer and not hurt the patient, And this drug does that," said Kimberly L. Blackwell, a professor of medicine at the Duke Cancer Institute and the lead investigator in the trial. [New York Times]………………………………………………………………………………

6. U.S. DRONE KILLS 10 IN PAKISTANAn American drone in the tribal areas of Pakistan killed 10 suspected militants on Sunday, according to Pakistani officials. It was the sixth such strike in two weeks, as the U.S. continues its drone campaign even as Pakistan demands that it be stopped. [Associated Press]………………………………………………………………………………

7. BODIES FOUND IN BURNED OUT CAR IN ARIZONAAn Arizona sheriff says five bodies found burned beyond recognition inside the shell of a charred SUV are likely the result of drug cartel violence. The bodies and vehicle were found in the Vekol Valley, a mountainous desert area that's a well-known smuggling corridor for drugs and illegal immigrants headed from Mexico to Phoenix. The bodies were so badly burned that investigators couldn't immediately determine their gender or ethnicity. [Associated Press]………………………………………………………………………………

8. U.S. SENATE WILL DEBATE NEW FARM BILLThe Senate is expected to begin debate this week on a five-year farm and food aid bill that would save $9.3 billion by ending direct payments to farmers and replacing them with subsidized insurance programs for when the weather turns bad or prices fall. Surprisingly, senators are in rare agreement that fixed annual subsidies of $5 billion a year for farmers are no longer feasible in this age of tight budgets and when farmers in general are enjoying record prosperity. [Associated Press]………………………………………………………………………………

9. BOATS ON THAMES MARK QUEEN'S JUBILEEMore than 1,000 boats will sail down the Thames on Sunday to honor Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne. Hundreds of thousands of revelers lined the riverbanks to cheer the Queen and her family. [Associated Press]………………………………………………………………………………

10. JOE BIDEN'S DAUGHTER MARRIESAshley Biden, the daughter of Vice President Joe Biden, married Howard Krein in Delaware on Saturday. A reception was held at the vice president's Greenville, Del., residence. [Huffington Post]